Over thousands of years, subsistence farmers of Timor-Leste have adapted to an uncertain and changing climate. They have learnt how to farm both the tropical  lowlands with heat loving crops (like corn and cassava) and the cool highlands where they grow coffee, wheat and potatoes.  They have also adapted to the highly variable  rainfall from year to year, the steep slopes and poor soils by relying on a  wide range of planted crops and collecting a even wider range of wild foods. (more…)

A research centre during Indonesian times, MAF’s Loes Research Station on the eastern bank of the Loes River just upstream from the main bridge has been significantly re-developed under the Australian Government-supported Seeds of Life (SoL) program.  The station was finally inaugurated May 10 by their Excellences, Mariano Assanami Sabino, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and Miles Armitage, Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste.

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To assess the progress of the early stages of the 3rd phase of the MAF-SoL (Seeds of Life) program over the last six months an AusAID Technical Advisory Group (TAG) composed of John Fargher and Greg Edmeades visited Timor-Leste during the first week of May. (more…)

The Minister with Senior MAF officials during harvesting ceremony

On 29 March the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, His Excellency Sr. Mariano Assanami presided over a ceremony marking the start of the corn harvest season in the fertile plateau of Suco Dotik in sub-district Alas in Manufahi District.  The Minister expressed his gratitude and congratulations to Seeds of Life (SoL) and RDP3 and all those who support agriculture programs in the Manufahi district. (more…)